Summer Heat
by Erricane
Summary: It was the beginning of summer and Nick and Judy got the week off from work to finally… Hang out.
**A/N:** _Well… Apparently everyone has been wanting Nick and Judy to get together now. I thought maybe it's time considering the US has finally released the movie. So I assume no spoilers anymore? But what the heck. Go nuts. If you haven't seen or seen it but still wanna read it, go ahead then. You have been warned._

 **Disclaimer:** _I own Zootopia in my dreams._

 **Summary:** _It was the beginning of summer and Nick and Judy got the week off from work to finally… Hang out._

* * *

The summer heat has begun all around Zootopia. Which means, every animals but the ZPD are going to enjoy their vacation lively. However, no officer has ever complained about getting any day-off since they were the one that decided to serve and protect the citizens of Zootopia. All… But Nick.

The fox leaned back in his chair, his uniform unbuttoned on the first two above. He was fanning himself with a magazine to keep himself cool. Even though he was already in an air-conditioned room… But the heat for this summer was quite different. And even though the other officers also think it's hot, they weren't complaining.

"Oh, God…" Nick groaned, tongue sticking out from the heat wave.

Suddenly, a pile of paperworks dropped on his desk and he looked up. It was Judy, raised an eyebrow at him and arms crossed.

"Can't take the heat?" she said.

He looked away and kept fanning. "I'm pretty sure you know the answer considering I'm cooling myself in an air-conditioned room. I feel sorry for the animals in the Sahara Square."

She giggled. "I don't think they're complaining, Nick."

He snickered. "Why can't we get a vacation? This sucks…"

"Nick, you're a cop now. Just don't complain and do your work. And also, I'm gonna need help with some paperworks. If you don't mind?" She gave him the sweetest look which mesmerized him to do it.

He groaned in annoyance and placed the magazine down. "Fine…"

"Thanks." She turned her heels back and walked away but before that… "Oh yea. And I talked to the chief. He said we can take a week off of work if you want. But only for a week."

Nick's tail curls up and gets to work on the papers without saying anything else, trying to get it done as soon as he can.

Judy smiled at seeing how hard he's working to earn his vacation. Well, he deserved it after all. After giving up being a con-artist, he's been settling his life normally now. But still a little messy though. As for his buddy Finnick, who knows where he is. Last he was heard of he was working in a lowrider customizition garage. He has always been an artist with wheels after all.

Anyway, Judy has been planning this for a while now ever since she was thinking of Clawhauser's words on Nick's birthday. Does she actually love Nick? I mean, Nick's birthday that she's been panicking before which he himself even forgot about it.

But then again, he DID take her to see Gazelle that one night. And the fireworks… And when he treat her to dinner… She just decided to embrace that feeling and finally come clean towards Nick.

But knowing Nick… What if he won't be able to answer the way she wanted it to be. She shook her head out of that thought and smacked her cheeks a few times to get it together. " _No! I can't go back now!_ " she thought.

She has been keeping the thought of Nick for months now and sooner or later, it's gonna break. From all the duty they've been going through together, to the point they become close as siblings. But Judy just felt quite an affinity to her partner.

The first day of their vacation has started and they have planned to go to the aquarium to start things off. It's a nice place to visit especially when with a strong heatwave. Judy was just waiting there for Nick. He was late as usual. Probably overslept again. She looked at her watch and tap her feet.

"Sorry, I'm late," said a familiar voice behind her. She turned around and found Nick in sunglasses with his usual green Hawaiian shirt with purple tie walking towards her, hands in his pockets. "It's really frying today…"

She smiled. "Well," she grabbed onto his tie. "Let's go. I heard it's cooler inside."

The two entered the aquarium and yes it was cool. But what they did not expect is that the aquarium were full of guests. Of course it would. Summer after all.

Nick and Judy got lost in the crowd and eventually lost each other.

When Judy noticed this she looked all over for him. "Nick?!"

But just then, someone held onto her paw and pull her toward his direction gently. When she noticed who it was, she was relief. Of course it'd be Nick.

He looked back at her. "Next time, let's hold paws?" he suggested.

Judy's eyes widened, her mouth shut tight and blushed when he said that. True that they should be holding paws. But that's just it. They've never held paws before. And all the time she would be the one to lead the way, tugging on his tie. But this time… Well it's kinda the opposite this time. Only… Holding paws… Awkward…

The two witnessed two swordfishes made a giant leap through rings.

Judy watched in awe with her ears down. Her eyes stared in amazement. "S-so cool!" she commented. "Look at them jump!"

She looked over at Nick who was unamused. He just stared at the scene blankly with half closed lids, paws in his pocket.

"Nick? You don't seem to be enjoying it."

He glanced at her. "Well… This is a usual thing in Zootopia. I'm just use to it is all."

He was right though. It's not like something like this happens every day in Bunnyburrow. Plus, they aren't any fishes at where she use to live so I guess it makes sense.

After an hour and a half of walking around and experiencing with the fishes, the two exited the aquarium with Judy who was hopping around from seeing so many cool fishes and their tricks, whereas Nick just smiled at how happy she was. He was always the kind of fox that prefer to see someone he's really close to happy. And for once, it wasn't another fox nor vixen.

"You'll get use to it, Carrots," he said chuckling. "You're in Zootopia now after all."

"Yea but did you see how…" Her stomach started making noises from hunger and she blushed. "Er..."

Nick rubbed her head. "Come on. I know what we can eat at a time like this."

Judy was sitting on a bench and Nick came back with two hotcarrots **(hotdog in Zootopia)**.

He handed the biggest one to her. "Here. It's delicious. I should know because I've tried it."

"Really?" she smiled gleefully. "Thanks!" She took a small bite first and giggled. "Mmmmm~! It IS delicious!"

Nick chuckled. "And you were always the one to eat a lot." He took a bite out of his hotcarrot.

"Sh-shut up!" she blushed, mouth full.

Nick looked at her, giving her a gentle smile which sent chills down her spine. She quickly look down and took another bite out of her hotcarrot, blushing. Her heart was racing like crazy. Her mind all blank except the thought of his smile just now.

But a few seconds later, her ears got up when she noticed… No one was around. This was the perfect opportunity…

She looked at Nick with worried eyes. "N-Nick?"

"Hm?" He didn't look at her as he just kept eating.

Her ears drooped down, her mouth opened but just couldn't say the words. "Um…" was all she could muttered and then she just sat back down. "N-nothing."

He finally looked at her. "It's not like you to keep things to yourself, Carrots. What's going on?"

"N-nothing!" She quickly turned her attention to her hotcarrot and eat it slowly with disappointment. " _I really am starting to think that I love him…_ " she thought, ears still droopy.

"Hey," he finally said. "You got some water?"

"Huh? Oh yea. I do." She went into her bag to get the bottle of water out and handed to him. "Here."

The fox took the bottle and drank it right in front of her which made her blush and her heart fluttered. She just stared at him drinking when she finally realized that she also drank from that exact same bottle which brought her to another thought. A kiss with Nick…

She looked away quickly, blushing furiously, mouth shut tight nervously with her ears down again. Her heart was beating so hard and so much that she was grasping on the bench tightly.

" _What the heck!_ " she thought. " _Am I seriously falling for him here?! Then again… He looked… So…_ "

"Here," Nick said handing her the bottle back. "Thanks."

She looked at the bottle and looked away again. "I… I don't want it anymore!" she shouted.

There was nothing but silence between them as a breeze blew into their direction. Nick just stared at her, confuse as to what has happened to her. This wasn't the bunny cop that he knew and loved. But yet, he seem so determined to know what was happening. His ears dropped down and he placed his hotcarrot and the bottle right next to him.

He placed his paw on hers which made her glance at his direction for a split second, not wanting him to notice her blushing.

"Judy…" he called out.

She always loves it when he called her by her first name. Because she knew that when he does, it means he's serious about something.

"What happened? I'll hear you out. Did I do something wrong?"

She just kept quiet, looking down at the ground, thinking of what to say to him. What is this strong feeling she has for him?

He moved his paw away from hers slowly. "If I did… Please tell me. I don't want you to hate me. I… Really am grateful for what you've done for me…" Silence again between the two… He stood up. "I… I'm gonna go get some fresh air…"

With that said, he left her. He thought that maybe she could use some time alone while he tries to think about what he actually did that made her like this.

And as soon as Nick was out of her sight, she hugged her knees, crying… " _What have I done…?_ " she thought. " _All I wanted was to tell him but now… He's…_ " She wiped off some of her tears. " _How did it ended up like this…_?"

On Nick's side, he just stared at his reflection at the river. Trying to think. But instead, it was clouded with the thought of Judy. But he didn't even try to shake it off.

He remembered about it. How she hustled him to begin with. Then to how she saved his life. And then to how he became a cop because of her. He was grateful that he met her and would never want to leave her side so he can protect her next. But he just can't seem to understand what was going through her mind. Because normally, she would just come to it straight.

Suddenly, someone pushed him into the river and he turned to see Judy was the one that did it. Judy was crying, blushing…

"J-Judy…?" was all he could say when he saw her.

She closed her eyes, trying to find the right words to tell him. But all what came out was…

"Stupid fox! It's not fair!"

He looked at her and listened to her carefully.

"Why…?" she said. "Why am I the only one feeling this way…? While you're just being all cool as if nothing happened… I…" She wiped off the tears with her sleeve. "All I wanted… Was to tell you how much you mean to me…"

Nick's ears perked up when he heard that.

"I just… I just wanna say that… I love you, you dumb fox!" She started sniffing, wiping her tears away and was relief that she finally let it out. "There… That's why I've been acting weird okay…? I'm sorry, Nick… But can we at least…" She was cut off short when Nick grabbed her paws gently and pulling her into an embrace.

He rubbed the back of her head just like how when they first hug. She let all of it out on his chest. "You bunnies… Really are so emotional…" he said. Just like back then.

She placed her paws on his chest and looked up at him. "Nick… I…" was all she could say when he cut her off with a kiss.

She tugged onto his shirt to pull him closer to her while he just held onto her soft, fuzzy face.

The two kissed for what felt like eternity. As if the world has stopped moving, time frozen as they let their feelings towards each other go. What's more, the sun setting was the best part of it as daylight has broke slowly.

Now the bunny's paw held onto the fox's tie while their other paw was holding onto each other. Nick's tail wrapped around her waist and Judy's cotton tail wags slowly. Both of them were blushing in the kiss as they slowly take their time, feeling each other's intimacy.

Judy broke the kiss and the two were breathing heavily. She slowly opened her eyes and looked into the fox's eyes, meeting each other's gaze.

Nick just smiled and rubbed her head.

Judy has some tears left and Nick helped wiped them off.

"So…" Nick finally said. "That's it?"

She slowly giggled and nuzzled into his chest, tugging his shirt.

" _Mission accomplished…_ " she thought, smiling.

* * *

 **A/N:** And there you have it. All done. Goddamn, my back. I had to reread everything because I wanted this one to be perfect. Pretty proud of it. Hope you also loved the sketch I made of Judy and Nick. I have to say, they're actually easy to draw than what I expected.

You can find the full version in my tumblr.

And also, I've did some research. Apparently carrots ARE common vegetables for foxes. And yes, foxes are omnivores.

Anyway, tell me if you guys want a sequel to this. Because I got it plan already. Ciao.


End file.
